‘Golgo 13’ Used in Revision to Foreign Ministry-Issued Guidelines; Kamikawa Honored by Manga Portrayal

The Yomiuri Shimbun

The Foreign Ministry has used Takao Saito’s popular manga “Golgo 13” in a recent update of its “Security Guidelines for Japanese Small, Medium, and Mid-Sized Enterprises Abroad.” Taking into account incidents in Sudan in northeastern Africa and Niger in West Africa last year, where a rapidly deteriorating security situation led to the evacuation of Japanese nationals, new sections were added to the guidelines.

The short manga created for the guidelines features “Foreign Minister Takakura,” who is modeled after Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa. Takakura asks the protagonist, a sharpshooter named Golgo 13, to protect Japanese citizens.

Kamikawa expressed her honor regarding the portrayal during a press conference, saying “It’s a great honor. Manga as a medium has global influence and has many fans from all generations.”

The Security Guidelines were first created in 2017 and have since undergone revisions. Approximately 32,000 copies are to be distributed to companies and passport centers nationwide.